CHAPTER XII. 



A NEW VENTURE COUNTING CHICKENS BEFORE THEY ARE 



HATCHED TAKING THE PACK GETTING STOVE DEATH 



OF THE DOCTOR ISt OF MAY PROCEEDINGS ENCOUNTERS 



WITH BEARS TESTING A BOMB LANCE ON A FINNER 



WHALE. 



IN 1859, having recovered from the afore-named accident, 

 we fitted out at the same time as the Hull whaling 

 and sealing fleet, and proceeded to Shetland, and lay in 

 Lerwick harbour waiting for men to make up our crew, 

 which was rather difficult on account of the unusually large 

 fleet lying in the harbour, also bound for the Greenland 

 sealing, and requiring men. 



One steamer specially attracted much attention. She was 

 called the Empress of India, belonging to Peterhead, built 

 of iron, and fitted out expressly for the trade She was 

 strongly fortified, being twelve feet thick forward, and 

 carried eleven boats. The bottom of the captain's gig was 

 bronzed, which made it look very showy. No expense had 

 been spared in her outfit, and she was manned by no men. 

 All the crew expected they would make a small fortune, and 

 looked upon our sailing vessels with contempt. Some of 

 the officers were so sure of getting full of seals that they 

 made all their plans for the future, viz., they were going to 

 fall in with the north end of the body of seals and sweep 

 through the centre, leaving the rest for those who were so 

 fortunate as to be in their company. But alas, as the 

 Scotch say, " Schemes of mice and men gang aft agley." 

 The 'first piece of heavy ice they came to, they struck it with 



